EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Report ID: UDXY11.01, California Department of Public Health

Reported Entity: EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER

Issue:

Based on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure the PHI (protected health information) of 42 patients remained confidential. This failure resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of 42 patient's PHI to an unintended recipient.Findings:An interview was conducted with the facility's Director of Compliance on February 20, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. The Director stated the hospital census is generated daily and was distributed to the outpatient observation unit on the first floor. The December 13, 2012, census was used as scratch paper and a Registered Nursed used the census as scratch paper to write home health information on it. The paper was subsequently given to an unintended recipient.A review of the daily census dated December 13, 2012, at 5:46 a.m., was conducted. The census reflected the names of 42 patients, including their medical record and account numbers, their room numbers and the name of each of their physicians.A review of the facility policy, "HIPPA - (health information portability and accountability act) Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information, (Last Reviewed/Revised 11/18/2011)," was conducted. The policy indicated, "It is the policy of (the facility) that the confidentiality of Protected Health information contained in records and collected pursuant to treatment will be protected to the fullest extent possible. To maintain this confidentiality (facility) staff may not disseminate PHI unless it is pursuant to a valid request, a valid authorization or a legally recognized exception to this requirement."

Outcome:

Deficiency cited by the California Department of Public Health: Health & Safety Code 1280

Related Reports:

1 other violation reported on the same date. Note that other citations may be about the same event: ZO2R11.01